


The Spider Bites

by koffeebean



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Bully Flash Thompson, Don't copy to other sites, Flash Thompson Being A Jerk, Flash Thompson Bullies Peter Parker, Flash gets DECKED, Gen, Hey look I have a beta !!, I deleted the second chapter bc eh, I didn't like it either so, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Oneshot, Peter Parker is a Mess, Teen Peter Parker, it didn't seem to be liked, of a minor character, peter punches flash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:34:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24055249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koffeebean/pseuds/koffeebean
Summary: The image flashed in Peter's mind all morning since he woke up. The flash of the gun being pressed against the latest robber's head.With the dead look in his eye as the trigger pulled, blood and brain matter sprayed out, and in that moment Peter couldn't even appreciate the fact that his suit was red and wouldn't show the blood that landed on him from across the narrow alley. But blood set brown, and it would soon show. Much like his own memories, in the moment his instincts took over as he dialed 911, but once his head hit the pillow the harsh reality had set in.-Peter witnessed a suicide and it played on his mind over and over, but what happens when Flash brings his bullying too far the next day?
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker (mentioned), Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 15
Kudos: 205





	The Spider Bites

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't like the canon Flash always being a dick. I wanted Peter to stand up for himself. Badda bing badda boom, here we are. 
> 
> Just in case - there is a theme of suicide in it as in a mugger at the start, and Flash insinuates stuff. Proceed with caution if you're triggered by any of this.
> 
> Last word of note this has been beta'd by the awesome Asha whomst I both love and owe my soul to. She honestly saved my life on this one with putting up with my haphazard writing kfkvmv

The image flashed in Peter's mind all morning since he woke up. The flash of the gun being pressed against the latest robber's head.  
  
With the dead look in his eye as the trigger pulled, blood and brain matter sprayed out, and in that moment Peter couldn't even appreciate the fact that his suit was red and wouldn't show the blood that landed on him from across the narrow alley. But blood set brown, and it would soon show. Much like his own memories, in the moment his instincts took over as he dialed 911, but once his head hit the pillow the harsh reality had set in.  
  
It happened at only eleven minutes past ten in the evening. He couldn’t forget it. The specific time… it was nowhere near his usual time of turning in from patrol, but the horrifyingly stark image kept replaying in his mind as he swung through Queens. The shot. The loud bang that could be felt in his chest that any passerby would have heard. It could have been a car backfiring, but Peter knew the truth. Oh god, the truth of-

He couldn't go on, and Karen demanded that he went home. Something about his vitals being off the charts, and how he was in the middle of a panic attack. But they were just figures in her code… although it could explain why he couldn't breathe. His suit was too tight, his chest couldn't expand. It was like he was trapped in his parachute again, freefalling straight into the icy cold lake. He was trapped under another building, the weight of it pushing down on him.

His vision blurred further with each exhausting swing, he had no air in his lungs.

Karen tried to contact Mr. Stark, but Peter stopped her. He didn't want to irritate him, he was most definitely still working on Miss Black Widow’s spiderbites, and they were a tricky piece of tech. One surprise noise such as his ringtone could cause Mr. Stark to jump, possibly electrocute himself in the process.

So no, Peter had just kept going, possibly passed his body’s limit of oxygen.

The guy that the robber attempted to mug had managed to escape the scene unharmed. That was what mattered.  
  
He was safe.  
  
He didn't witness...the- the suicide.  
  
The words rang in Peter's ears as he opened his locker. "I can't do this anymore. I can't take it."  
  
Those chill horrifying words that set off his Spidey Sense a split second before the shot rang out.  
  
Shaking himself out of his head, he glanced at the clock for some semblance of normality. He was supposed to meet Ned and MJ for lunch in five minutes. Ned had spent the morning babbling excitedly in his ear about something or other, and Peter realised with a minute twinge of guilt that he had no idea what he was saying. He was far too deep inside his head, and the only dreading thought of having business studies next period was what brought him back to the ground. He could technically... wait no. He firmly stopped the idea of swinging out of school with a single image.  
  
That image was one that Mr. Stark would be so disappointed if he found out that he ditched his patrol, but then ditched school the day after - so he had to stay. Besides, he tried telling himself, just a few more classes until he could go home. Ignore the worried looks of the teachers. Get the notes. Laugh with Ned over...was it a new lego set he mentioned? Answer some questions in class. Then bingo, he was home free.  
  
Peter sighed in relief at the thought of being free, able to go home and just sleep. Homework could wait until morning, he'd just have to get up a bit earlier. He had a free period this morning so technically the only homework he'd have to do would be whatever he got in the next few classes. Yeah, everything could just wait until he had his head right again, no matter how long that took. He...he just needed a slight break.  
  
He had no time to dwell on the thought because before he could finish, he heard a slam beside him as none other than Flash fucking Thompson slumped onto the line of lockers beside him. "S’up Penis."  
  
Peter groaned to himself as he felt his entire world dampen further. Stealing a glance over he was met with the sight of the bane of humanity that is Flash and a few of his followers behind him, waiting for a reaction.  
  
But he wasn't going to give them any ammo, so he simply turned back to his locker and pointedly ignored them. He didn't need anything else from the locker, but Flash didn't know that, and from what Peter could remember, Flash wouldn't really care either.  
  
But apparently, today wasn't one of those days where he would get bored easily...  
  
"Aw Penis, are you ignoring me? I thought we were past that." One particular follower sniggered at that which only served to feed his game. Peter just tightened his grip on his calm facade as he clenched his jaw, and made to close his locker. Only Flash got there first, he slammed Peter's locker closed with a loud bang which caused a few other students to glance over. "Hey, I'm talking to you."  
  
The bang echoed inside Peter, his sensitive hearing amplifying it and his Spider Sense jolted.

  
_The rain poured down soaking his suit, and Peter's eyes widened along with his suit’s as the haggard-looking man raised the gun and shot, a loud bang sounding out. A shot, and then water wasn't the only thing coating the concrete walls of the alley. It was too tight. Peter stared as the body slumped and fell, splashing into a puddle quickly turning red._ _  
_ _  
_ _The shot was loud- echoing through his chest. The alley was too small, it was crowding in._

"-ey Penis what the fuck is wrong with you?”

 _"I can't do this anymore."_  
  
Flash’s hand was still planted firmly on his locker, the source of the godforsaken noise. He was crowded in his space, and Peter couldn't breathe again. 

He was too close, too near. God, he couldn't-

The image of the tight alley and the walls splashed in red. Flash’s red shirt sat ominously in his field of vision. The red mixed with the puddling rain on the ground.

It was too much, it was-

He blindly lashed out, his body begging for space, and before he knew it Flash had backed away, or Peter would have assumed he had simply backed away if it weren't for the cronies loud “oooo” getting irritatingly more obnoxious near the end. Oh, yeah, and the anger on Flash’s face directed right at him.

“The fucker pushed me,” Flash said, face almost red, and Peter hardly had the time to be grateful he had enough control not to push him into the wall across the hall with his strength, before he was stalking forward once again crowding in his space. Peter did his best not to be backed flush into the lockers. “You wanna fucking start something, Parker? Just letting you know that my family has enough money and influence to drag you through the dirt where you belong.”

Oh if only he knew...

By now the few students who had chosen to go to their lockers rather than straight to the canteen weren't even trying to hide their looks. Peter winced, before his eyes widened in sudden realisation. This was a bad idea. A really bad idea.. if Aunt May were to find out about this, or- or Mr. Stark…

Flash must have taken the deer-in-headlights look as fear because he was back to his arrogant self in...well, in a flash. “Huh, all bark no bite isn't that right, Parker?” he said, loud enough for the onlookers to hear. Flash scoffed, taking one look at Peter, and whatever he saw, for whatever reason, must have justified in his own head the next sentence which came out of his mouth. “It's a wonder. Maybe your uncle just let himself die so he didn't have to put up with your shit anymore.”

Peter stood there agape, unable to move, and Flash rallied with his cronies, feeding off their energy, completely unaware of the gasps and murmurs of disgust from the few onlookers. Peter thought he heard someone say something extremely unflattering about where they'd shove their foot to his left, but it all seemed muted to him.

Everyone in the school seemed to know about Peter’s uncle. No student in the school had ever talked to him about it, but he could just _tell_ they knew from the pitying looks he sometimes still got, especially around the time of the anniversary. It was on the news the night of the murder. They couldn’t have missed it.

This, though? This was the first time Flash had ever brought it up. The first time any other student had ever had the...the gall to mention it in front of him.

Peter forcibly knocked himself out of his stupor, clenching his fists. “ _What_. did you just say?” he said through clenched teeth. He glared at Flash as he turned around with all the combined anger of Black Widow and the heat of Aunt May. How dare Flash even go there. What the actual fuck.

Flash stared at him, seemingly stumped. Impatience and anger reared its head inside him as Peter grabbed Flash by the shirt and slammed him into the lockers, effectively switching their starting positions.

“I said- What. the **_fuck_** did you just say?!”

Peter instantly forgot all passivity in their fights, in his bullying, in class, into catching him off guard. He never stood up for himself, never cursed, and if he heard correctly from Betty Brant, he was the guy that nobody ever heard him speak an ill word against anyone, always being the “epitome of sunshine”. At the time he took the phrase as a compliment, but now he couldn't care less for it. The hallway grew silent around them.

Now Flash was the one frozen up, staring at him with wide, fearful eyes. The image should have brought a sense of satisfaction, but all Peter felt was a twinge of disappointment coming from deep down inside him.

This wasn't him. Spiderman took out the bullies, took out the villains and robbers. Spiderman did. Right now he wasn't Spiderman. He was supposed to be, in this moment, simply Peter Parker. No strength. He wasn't supposed to be able to slam guys into a locker, especially not in anger, he realised with a start. Mr. Stark told him about keeping his cool.

He dropped his grip on Flash’s stupid red shirt, taking a step back and letting himself audibly breathe as he closed his eyes, pushing out the moments mixing in his head. He tried to grasp at strings of control that were just barely within reach.

Was it last night or three years ago he saw a man put a gun under his chin. Uncle Ben, or an unfortunate robber who was probably living day to day to get food?

He _knew_ what happened though. How could he forget? Uncle Ben _did not_ kill himself, or let himself die... but the images rose in his head, switching the positions of the case last night with Uncle Ben’s face.

“Yeah, can't even deal with what you throw, Parker,” Flash scoffed, apparently gaining back his confidence. God, did he _ever_ shut up? “That's why you are where you are. Bet Uncle ca-”

Flash couldn't even finish his shaky sentence, in a flash of red one moment Peter was breathing through the anger, and the next his fist ached and one Flash Thompson slumped undignified on the floor, lying back on the lockers.

The hallway was still tense with silence, as if the air itself was waiting for what would happen next.

Peter breathed harshly through clenched teeth. “Don't ever talk to me about my Uncle if you know what's good for you,” he sneered in a low but dangerously calm tone that Peter knew brought even hardened criminals to their knees. Flash’s eyes were darting between his and his shoes as if he wasn't sure which to look at, which would have been amusing if it weren't for the red seeping through the fingers clutching his nose.

Oh fuck.

_Red splattered on walls like a horrific graffiti painting._

“Peter Parker. My office. Now.”

He didn't even flinch at Principal Morita’s curt words. Apparently his anxiety was taking a backseat for the moment, as long as the adrenaline and flashbacks lasted. He stepped back from the lockers, worrying briefly in the back of his mind about Ned and MJ thinking that he bailed on them, but one look at the shocked looks of those who were still watching and he knew that the news would be all around the school in minutes, especially since he spotted Casey Dean filming.

Peter groaned in defeat. Oh god, this was going to be a whole thing.

“Someone get Eugene to the school nurse as soon as possible,” Morita added as they walked off.

The walk to the principal’s office was a short one, Peter’s locker only being a three minute walk away, but at this moment it seemed to take hours with the tension riddled in his shoulders. There was no one in the hallways, which should have been expected with it being lunch and all, but the oppressive silence only made the tension that much more unbearable.

“Sit down,” Morita ordered as soon as they reached the dreaded room. Peter winced at the finality of the closed office door behind him, and he barely felt himself sit in the uncomfortable seat set up in front of the only desk. “Your Aunt has been contacted but she hasn't picked up. Is there anyone else we can call to the school?”

He nodded reluctantly as he subtly flexed his fist. The one that seemingly punched Flash. Yeah there was someone else. Two someone else's. But the choice between calling in the ever-so-happy _Happy,_ and calling in Mr. Stark for a case like this was simple.

Mr. Stark was either going to be really proud, or really, really mad.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I do have a follow up chapter planned but I'm not too sure whether it's needed. Feel free to let me know what you think.


End file.
